


The Price of Bravery

by marineduo (spiralxshock)



Series: Helmeppo's no good, very bad luck [4]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Torture, Whump, helmeppo is just having a bad time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:08:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27068395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiralxshock/pseuds/marineduo
Summary: Things always seemed to go south when Helmeppo was in charge. And not in any normal kind of south. That he could handle. Extra paperwork, maybe a stern lecture from a superior. Something normal that would just be an oversight on his part. But no, when things go south for him they go unavoidably, horribly wrong.
Relationships: Coby/Helmeppo (One Piece)
Series: Helmeppo's no good, very bad luck [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1975567
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This came from two different Whumptober prompts, but I ended up making them part of the same thing. Takes place sometime post-timeskip.

Things always seemed to go south when Helmeppo was in charge. And not in any normal kind of south. That he could handle. Extra paperwork, maybe a stern lecture from a superior. Something normal that would just be an oversight on his part. But no, when things go south for him they go unavoidably, horribly wrong. Right now, for example, he found himself in a small cell. It was one of many down a long hall, full of others just like it.

The good news was he’d found the missing Marines he’d been looking for, and since he was here and Coby wasn’t, there’d be someone looking for him and everyone else. The bad news was everything else. It wasn’t just him that got caught, but the whole group he had been with as well. One of the missing marines had filled him in on what was going on. The man responsible was some sort of mad scientist, though at this point Helmeppo wasn’t sure if there were any scientists that weren’t mad, who would take the captives one at a time and do… something. Nobody ever came back, all killed by the man. What happened in the days between then was unknown, but assumed to be… grisly. 

It was two days into his own capture before the man appeared again, walking down the hall of cells and inspecting the people inside carefully. He stopped at the cell across from Helmeppo, peering inside before reaching for the keys on his belt. Helmeppo quickly tucked a piece of paper under the cell’s single sheet before standing.

“Take me instead.” Helmeppo’s voice was calm, despite his current position. The man turned to look at him, his malicious grin widening. 

“Oh? Who might you be?” The man let out a soft chuckle. “Not many would so  _ willingly _ offer themselves to my knife.”

“Lieutenant Commander Helmeppo.”

“A ranking officer! So  _ that’s _ why you have that coat. Do you think you can save these rats by offering yourself?”

“You only take one person at a time, from what I hear. I’m not broken as easily as some, and if it keeps you away from them for a while I’m willing to do it.”

“And how _ long _ do you expect to last?”

Helmeppo thought about his vivre card hidden in the cell. Coby was going to find them. It was just a matter of holding out until he arrived. However long that might be. He couldn’t let the others continue to get picked off while he just watched.

“As long as I need to.”

“Wonderful! But if this is a trick, I’ll be sure to get rid of everyone else.”

Helmeppo nodded. Fine. He’d expected a condition like that. Besides, Helmeppo couldn’t do much without his weapons. Not when this mad scientist likely had more than a few tricks up his sleeves. Sure enough, as the man opened the cell and grabbed him there was a stabbing pain in his shoulder. He looked to see a syringe sticking into it.

“What-”

“Just some insurance that you’ll come quietly, Lieutenant Commander.”

\-----

Helmeppo woke in a brightly lit but dingy room, oxygen mask over his face and unable to move. Strangely, there was a mirror hanging over him, giving him an easy view of himself. Tied down and toppless. How long had he been like that?He didn’t remember passing out, but he’s pretty sure he knew when it had happened. Well, sort of. How long he had been out was something he didn’t know, but there was no time to speculate as the man loomed over him.

“Good of you to finally wake up. I didn’t want you to miss my process. You won’t be able to move, of course, but I wanted you to have a good look at what I’m about to do.”

It was hard not to regret his choice as the mad doctor got started. He’d felt pain before, but nothing could compare to the cycle of agony he was forced to quietly experience. It seemed like the man was trying not to kill him, going by all the medical equipment, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t doing all he could to make Helmeppo suffer. 

The first few days were the hardest. Was it days? It felt like days. It was just a cycle after the first day. Cut open while being forced to watch, looking as his body was opened up and feeling every cut and prod. Then when the man got tired he'd be crudely stitched up before being left there. In those moments he was able to find some rest. It continued for what felt like forever. He got used to seeing himself cut open, even as the cuts grew larger. Starting as a simple cut along his abdomen, it soon grew to what would have been the cut of an autopsy- the only difference was that he wasn’t dead yet. 

On the day everything changed, the man had yet to open him up again, having rushed in and locked the door. If it was for the reason Helmeppo thought, the lock wasn’t going to do much. If he had the strength left to smile, he would have. But now it seemed he’d finally be free of the torture. The man stood over him, scalpel to his throat. 

It only took one hit for the solid metal door to buckle and fall. It wasn’t surprising. Coby was just that good.

“Let. Him. Go.” The rare venom he saved for Helmeppo’s sake dripped from his words. “You’ve lost.”

“Ha! So what! I’ve still got others! I’ll kill him!”

“We freed the others. You don’t have anything left.”   


So everyone was free? That was good. Helmeppo let his eyes close, the last of his strength failing him. Coby could take it from there, and he could rest now. 


	2. Chapter 2

It had all happened so fast. Finding that hidden lab, freeing the trapped marines, and… blood. Blood pounding in his ears as he took the room in. Blood still covering his friend as he finally gave out. Blood gushing as he slammed that man into the wall. One. Twice. Three times before letting him fall lifeless to the floor. 

The captured marines had insisted they didn’t need the doctors that came, pushing him to find Helmeppo. He was glad they had. If they hadn’t, well… He wouldn’t be where he was today. Walking through the base’s hospital with an armful of flowers to the room he’d been spending so much time. Coby quietly let himself into the room.

“Hey.”

The voice was soft and strained from underuse, but it was still enough to bring tears to his eyes. 

“Hey.” His own voice was choked. “It’s… It’s really good to see you up. I wasn’t sure…”

He couldn’t finish that thought, opting instead to move closer to him. He wasn’t entirely sure what to say. The last time he’d seen his friend’s eyes open was the day he had dealt with the underground lab. After two weeks he hadn’t been sure they’d open again.

“I, um, I brought flowers.” Coby held out the flowers, an arrangement of roses, irises, lavender and more. Anything he could find that was a nice shade of purple. He could feel the tired joy radiating off his friend.

“Thank you.” 

He set the flowers down, pulling a chair to the side of the bed for himself.

“You alright?”

Coby gave a small laugh, wiping his eyes with the edge of his scarf.

“I should be asking you that.” He sniffed. “I’m ok. I just… I thought I was going to lose you. I didn’t think… I just…”

“Coby. I’m going to be fine.” 

It was a lie. Coby knew it was a lie. He wasn’t stupid enough to miss what had happened. The mirror, the scars, the fact he was awake before they had come in. Nobody could be fine after that. 

“You’re a hero. The others told me what happened. But they’ve asked us not to do anything big. They don’t think it’s right to broadcast what you went through.”

Helmeppo smiled.

“I’ll have to thank them.”

“I know they’re eager to thank you.”

Coby reached out, gently taking the other’s hand into his own. Contact wasn’t something he enjoyed, but he knew Helmeppo did. And after what he’d endured it was the least Coby could do. They stayed like that a while, simply enjoying each other’s company as Coby tried to calm himself down. 

“Helmeppo?”

“Hm?”

“I… Well, I…” He had to get something off his chest. After coming so close to losing him, he couldn’t just keep pushing it aside. That didn’t make things any easier, though. “I… love you.”

He could feel his hands shaking as he closed his eyes. The tears threatened to come back, too overwhelmed to do anything to keep them at bay.

“I love you too.” 

Coby looked at his friend. Helmeppo was smiling. It was weak and strained, but genuine. He couldn’t help but smile back. 

“Um. I should go let the doctor know you’re up. Could we… Could we talk about this more when I come by again?”

He hadn’t expected the fear that crossed Helmeppo’s face at his words.

“Can you come back with him? I… I don’t think I want to be alone right now.”

Oh. He supposed it made sense, after what he’d been through. He wouldn’t be surprised if he never quite trusted doctors again. Giving the other’s hand a reassuring squeeze, he smiled. 

“Yeah. I’ll be right here for you.”


End file.
